Apparatus for compressing air.



S. G. SKINNER. APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING AIR. APPLICATJON FILED OCT. 15, m4.

L1 g gfi, Patented Jan. 23,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

': e n GJ/nlnner Zdz'inesses S. G. SKINNER. APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSlNG AIR. APPLICATION FILED 00115, m4.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ZJZS 70655 6;

STEPHEN G. SKINNER, 0F WILMETTE, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING AIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 191?.

Application filed October 15, 1914. Serial N 0. 866,740.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN G. SKINNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilmette, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Compressing Air, (Case 7,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for compressing air, andthe object of my invention is to provide a device for this purpose which, itself, is operated by air com pression, so that it may be applied to an otherwise idle cylinder of an internal combustion engine and be operated by the air compressed by the piston in the engine cylinder.

The device of my invention is particularly adapted for use in the automobile industry since it may be employed for pumping up tires and may be operated automatically by establishing communication between the device and the associated engine cylinder.

The specific embodiment of my invention herein shown and subsequently claimed is particularly designed to form a part of the regular equipment of an automobile and constitutes to a greater or less extent a permanent part of the automobile engine with which it is associate Structurally the device of my invention comprises power and compression cylinders with pistons in the respective cylinders. As will be hereinafter pointed out'certain instrumentalities are provided whereby compounding of the pressure of the air delivered to and furnished from the pump is accomplished. My present invention is, however, not particularly concerned with the details of the pump cylinders and pistons. S0 in the detailed description of my invention I shall explain only so much of the detail of my pump as is necessary to a thorough understanding of my present invention.

The power cylinder of the device, as before referred to, is arranged to be fitted into a base member provided with a suitable bore communicating with the power cylinder of the pump. Supported by the base member referred to is a suitable breather valve, the purpose of which will be subsequently explained. The base member is preferably provided with an integral boss arranged to be secured in an aperture in a cylinder of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine. In the embodiment of my invention herein described, I provide a valve which normally cuts off communication between the power cylinder of the pump and the cylinder of the internal combustion engine with which it is associated. This valve is so disposed that when it is in seated position that portion of the associated engine cylinder which during the normal operation of the engine is utilized for compression space is no smaller than would be the case if the pump attachment were not provided. I accomplish this result by having the valve referred to lie substantially flush with the inner surface of the cylinder wall when the valve is in seated position. The valve is so constructed and arranged that it may be controlled by a manually operated push rod. The valve is so disposed that it cannot be opened while compression or firing is taking place within the associated engine cylinder. Suitable means is provided for retaining the valve aforesaid in open position.

These and other features of my invention are more fully set forth in the following description and are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is a view partly'in section and partly in elevation illustrating the apparatus of my invention in operative position upon a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus of my invention, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3, 3, of Fig. 2, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

eferring first to Fig. 1, it will be seen that at 4 I have illustrated one cylinder of an ordinary internal combustion engine, said cylinder being provided with the usual intake and exhaust valves, piston, spark plug, etc. In the drawing the engine cylinder has been more or less diagrammatically illustrated.

The engine cylinder 4- is provided with an exhaust valve cap 5 retained in position by means of bolts or other equivalent devices. In ordinary engine construction it is customary to use an imperforate cap or to utilize a cap provided with a pet cock for priming the cylinder, etc. In order to secure the advantages of my invention I find it convenient to tap a hole in the cap 5 and to thread into said hole a bushing 6. Any suitable means, such as gaskets, may be utilized with the bushing 6 and stem member 8 when to secure a tight joint between the bushing 6 and the cap if it is found that merely threading the bushing into the cap will not secure as tight a fit as is necessary or desirable.

ed nut 9 arranged to be threaded upon an annular shoulder 10 formed integral with the base member 8 and disposed concentric 7. Formed in one end of the stem 7, as illustrated in Fig. 2, is a valve seat 11 provided with a valve 12 which when the valve is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, lies substantially flush with the inner wall of the internal combustion engine cylinder with which the pumping devices are associated. r The valve 12 is fixed upon a rod 13 which extends through the stem 7 and the hollow base member and passes through suitable backing 14C and stuffing boxes 15 and 16. At the end thereof opposite the valve 12, the rod 13 is provided with a suitable hand "heel 17 and interposed between the hand wheel and the outer surface of the stuiiing lOOX 16 is a coil spring 18 which normally tends to hold the valve 12 in the position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

As is clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 a pin 19 passes diametrically through the rod 13 and the ends of the pin 19 are adapted to rest in slots 20, 20 formed in the base the valve member'12 is in seated position, as illustrated in Fig. 2. When the valve member 12 is unseated by moving the hand wheel 17 against the tension of the spring 18 the rod 13 is turned a quarter of a turn to bring. the ends of the pin 19 out of register with the slots in which they normally engage and the valve 12 is thus retained in unseated position.

As is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 the base member 8 is arranged to carry the cylinder 21 which may be termed the pow 1' cylinder and disposed in tandem with the power cylinder 21 is a compression cylinder at 22. Reciprocating in the power and compression cylinders are power and compression pistons 23 and 24L connected by a hollow rod 25. Suitable devices are provided for cushioning the operation of the power and compression pistons and means is provided for affording communication between the power cylinder and the compression cylinder; This last mentioned means is in the form of a passage 26 leading through the connecting rod 25, said passage being controlled by a ball check valve 2" seating against pressure from the power cylinder 21. Apertures 28 afford communication between the passage 26 and the space in the compres- WVhen this takes place sion cylinder below the piston therein and the piston is provided with a cup washer which permits air to pass to the high compression side of the compression piston when the power and compression pistons are retracted.

The construction and operation of the mechanism contained within the power and compression cylinders herein shown is now well known to persons skilled in the art to which my invention relates, so I do not deem it necessary to give a detailed description of the construction and operation of these parts. I may say, however, that any modification may be made in the details of the mechanism of the pump 7902' so without in any way departing from the scope of my present invention.

Attention is directed to the fact that an aperture 29 serves to afford communication between the power cylinder 21 and the space within the hollow base member 8, and it also serves to form a receptacle for a teat 30 carried by the power piston. The teat 30 entering the aperture 29 serves to create an air cushion on the stroke of the power piston impelled by the suction created within the associated engine cylinder.

The hollow base member 8 is provided with a suitable breather valve as is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, this breather valve illustrated at 31 being normally held seated by a spring 32 and being provided with suitable guiding devices as illustrated. The purpose of a breather valve is well known to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates, so I need not here explain its function in detail.

Owing to the fact that the valve 12 normally lies substantially flush with the wall of the associated engine cylinder it will be seen that when the valve is closed the engine cylinder may perform its ordinary function, the space effective in compressing the charge within the engine cylinder being in no wise enlarged due to the presence of the pumping apparatus. The area of the valve 12 and the tension of the spring 18 are preferably so designed that when compression or firing occurs within the associated engine cylinder the valve 12 cannot be opened. However, when suction is created within the engine cylinder the valve may be readily opened and locked in open position as has been previously explained. assuming the piston within the engine cylinder to be moving upon its suction stroke, the breather valve 31 opens to admit fresh air to the engine cylinder. The breather valve 31, in fact, serves to provide a path of least resistance to the passage of air through the engine cylinder and consequently little or no combustible mixture is admitted to the engine cylinder. Any combustible gas which may be in the engine cylinder is so diluted that it cannot possibly be exploded during the succeeding strokes of the engine piston. When the engine piston has completed its suction stroke as aforesaid and starts upon its compression stroke the breather valve is seated and the air compressed in the engine cylinder is utilized to operate the power piston 2A. A portion of the air under pressure admitted to the cylinder 21 is passed to the space on the low compression side of the compression piston during the movement of the piston member by the pressure created within the engine cylinder, and this air upon the next stroke of the pistons in reversed direction is passed around compression piston to the high compression side thereof in a manner well known to those skilled in the art to which my in vention relates. The pistons are retracted when suction is again created within the associated cylinder of the internal combustion engine.

Attention is here called to the fact that my present invention is not particularly concerned with those features of the mechanism herein described other than the combination and arrangement of parts whereby the pumping mechanism may be operatively connected with the engine cylinder as desired.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is 1. In combination with one cylinder of a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine an auxiliary chamber disposed adjacent said engine cylinder, a passage adapted to aiford communication between the engine cylinder and said auxiliary chamber, a valve for said passage arranged when seated to lie substantially flush with the inner wall of said engine cylinder, a manually operated controlling rod for said valve, means for locking said valve in either open or closed position as required, an opening in the wall of said auxiliary chamber, and a fluid pressure operated pump fitted in said opening, said pump having differential power and compression cylinders and pistons in said power and compression cylin- Gopiea ders substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with one cylinder of a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine an auxiliary chamber disposed above said engine cylinder, a passage adapted to afford communication between said cylinder and said auxiliary chamber, a valve for said passage arranged when seated to lie substantially flush with the inner wall of said engine cylinder, a manually operated controlling rod for said valve, means for locking said valve in either open or closed position as required, an opening in one of the walls of said auxiliary chamber, and a fluid pressure operated pump fitted in said opening and projecting laterally and horizontally from said auxiliary chamber, said pump having differential power and compression cylinders and pistons in said cylinders substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with one cylinder of a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine, an auxiliary chamber disposed adjacent and above said engine cylinder, a passage adapted to afford communication between the engine cylinder and said auxiliary chamber, a valve for said passage arranged when seated to lie substantially flush with the inner wall of said engine cylinder, a manually operated controlling rod for said valve supported by said auxiliary chamber, means cooperating with said rod to lock said valve in either its open or closed position as required, an opening in the wall of said auxiliary chamber, a fluid pressure operated pump removably fitted in said opening and projecting laterally and horizontally from said auxiliary chamber, said pump having diflerential power and compression cylinders and pistons in said power and compression cylinders substan: tially as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 12th day of October, A. D., 191-1.

STEPHEN G. SKINNER. Witnesses:

MARY A. Coon, H. A. NEIBURGER.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

